Dear Journal...

Everyone is M.I.A.

Another Monday rolls around and I get a call at 7:25 in the morning. It’s the assistant manager. She says everyone called out and she needs me there as soon as possible. Except “soon as possible” is going to be in about five hours for me…

I feel kind of bad, but classes come before work! I can’t just not go to class when it means so much to me, but at the same time if everyone called out at work, who’s going to run the store? I can’t imagine how frustrating that has to be for a store manager. This is the second Monday in a row! Other employees would say, “It’s not your problem. Don’t worry about it!” But how can I not worry? Am I like the only one who gives a shit about my job? Maybe I just feel this way because it’s my first job. Everyone else has been working for awhile. I guess they would feel differently… I mean… I guess…

I get so annoyed at work sometimes. Sure, I’m still learning everything, but what makes me angry is all the employees who absolutely bullshit the customers! It’s a pet store, so obviously you’re going to get all sorts of questions ranging from cats and dogs, to aquatic life, to reptiles and amphibians, and even critters! My biggest interest is in dogs, but I also enjoy dealing with the critter questions since I’ve raised hamsters, gerbils, and mice when I was younger. I’ve learned a lot more about dogs, not just from the experiences I’ve had with my own dog, but from the trainers, co-workers, previous customers, and even research I’ve done on my own time.

When someone comes to me with a question that I can’t answer, I will honestly admit it and happily find someone who can help them better than I could… But what annoys me is when I ask a co-worker who they think would be able to answer the question from experience or knowledge, and they end up going to my customer and giving them some bullshit answer… I don’t think some of my co-workers realize how much some of these customers confide in us. They are asking a question and expecting a truthful answer. They are expecting us to know what to do. We do, after all, work at a pet store, and for some reason that implies that we are pet geniuses. Not true in most cases. A lot of us are just animal lovers. And surprisingly enough, some of us don’t even like animals at all. Crazy, huh?

For some people, it is just a job. For me, it’s more than that. It’s helping educate the public on better lifestyles for them and more importantly their pets! While I am mostly stuck at register, I absolutely love to be out on the floor where I can assist customers and do all that I can to provide them with helpful tips and advice to benefit their pets in the best of ways. And when that customer leaves, I hope they share the information they learned with friends and family, and that more people become more responsible and knowledgeable pet owners.

I really take my job to heart. My dad says that it’s just about “salesmanship.” Neither of us agree with “salesmanship” if it’s not honest. But honesty isn’t easy to come by! Seriously… I could make up better bullshit answers for these customers than some of my co-workers, but I would never do that because in some cases the answers we may give could result in life or death! I think it’s very important to be honest and tell the customer to see a vet for serious issues, or to redirect them for other questions that could be answered.

Anyway enough ranting about the good and bad, and the do’s and don’t’s at work. I really need to get going on my class assignments. Now that my laundry should be done, and my camera battery is finished charging, I need to get out and take some pictures for class while I have time to do so in the daylight! I’m really enjoying this next portfolio due on motion. We’ve been instructed to photograph stopped motion, panned motion, and blurred motion. I’m definitely thinking of going out one night over Interstate 64 and taking a night shot of the traffic. I’d love to capture the cars coming and going in blurred motion. If I get a bunch of shots this morning on my way to class, I may have time to take Sammy to the park tomorrow. We miss our four-legged friends at Ridgway!